Fiery Heart, Broken Soul
by iheartgod175
Summary: Meta Knight and Dedede weren't the only delegates who represented Popstar alongside Kirby in Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Dedede's sister Scarlet, the secret princess of Dreamland, has joined them in the "fight across worlds" that is Super Smash. Dedede hopes the tournament can restore Scarlet, but new enemies and horrible secrets may shatter her instead. Takes place during Brawl.
1. An Extra Addition

**A/N: **Before I start, I must thank my Father in heaven, for giving me the opportunity to work with people on this website, and for giving me the idea for this story. Without His help, I would have never finished this. I give you the thanks and the glory, right now, in Your Son's precious name. Amen.

Hello, folks. It is iheartgod175, and I have come with something new: a chaptered story for Super Smash.

First off, I must say I was surprised by the response I got from my first one-shot "Acceptance". I didn't expect five reviews mere hours after it was posted, or fourteen favorites after one week, or for a member to ask me to write a story for them. Either way, I feel humbled and it gives me a heartwarming feeling when people praise my writing, even when I think that my writing needs more spicing up.

Anyway, I was asked by Vulaan Kulaas to write a story, and he/she graciously gave me their OC. It took a lot of rewriting and at least two sheets of paper, but here it is. This story may possibly be my longest story ever, since I'm going to go into loads and loads of detail about the characters. I'll try to shoot for thirty, but a hundred chapters may also be in the works. So, here we go!

Enjoy the story, Vulaan Kulaas, and everyone else!

* * *

><p><em>Dedede's Castle<em>

_March 8th, 2008, Early Spring_

_One day before the launch of Super Smash Brothers Brawl..._

"Do you really think that this tournament will help her recouperate, Dedede?"

The king of Dreamland looked down at the masked blue knight who stood next to him. The two were watching a small mock battle on the castle grounds. A scarlet feathered penguin who was slightly shorter than Dedede himself was fighting against several Waddle Dees in armed combat. She was also much skinnier than him, and wore a sapphire blue coat that was similar to his own, but lined with less fur and fit her body more. Her feathers were rougher than Dedede's own, and thicker as well, giving her a slightly rebellious appearance. Orange scars trailed across her face and a small scar ran along the left side of her beak. Her grey eyes were darker than thunderclouds as she glared at her smaller opponents. The purple bandana that was on her head threatened to slide off her head as she unleashed her more powerful moves on a couple of Waddle Dees, which were sent flying through the air like rag dolls each time she hit them.

Dedede sighed. "I have to hope it will. I wouldn't be a good brother if I didn't help her," he answered.

"I suppose you really are a soft-hearted one under all that arrogance, Dedede," Meta Knight replied.

Dedede shot a glare at him. "Shut up," he said.

At the sound of a battle cry, the two turned to see a Waddle Dee rush towards Scarlet, a ninja star in his right hand. Even from their position on the balcony, they could see her cocky grin as she prepared to unleash her attack. Her body seemed to burst into flames almost instantaneously, and this caused the Waddle Dee to stop short, looking utterly surprised.

That surprise turned into fear as she shot off and slammed right into him, setting him on fire. The Waddle Dee let out a high pitched shriek as he flew into the air, a tail of fire marking his location. He disappeared into the forest, and a loud sonic boom hit Dedede's and Meta Knight's ears a few seconds later.

Brandishing her hammer, Scarlet looked at the other Waddle Dees and Gordos who had surrounded her. "Anybody else up for a match?" she asked.

The Waddle Dees and Gordos looked at her, then at each other, and then looked at her again. Without a word, they all turned around and ran as though Nightmare were on their heels, their shrieks echoing through the castlegrounds.

Scarlet jumped up and down, cheering. "Yes! I finally perfected the Flare Dash! Those Smashers had better watch out, because I'm really getting fired up!"

While they were watching her cheer, Meta Knight turned to Dedede. "Shouldn't you be training for the preliminary rounds? They start two days from now," he said.

Dedede scoffed. "Of course not. I'm what they call a heavyweight, and as such I'll be able to handle all the lighter Smashers. They'll be flying off the stage in no time," he said. "What about you?"

"I have practiced from dawn until dusk since I got the announcement. However, I decided to take a break for today, and to make sure that both you and Scarlet are preparing for the rounds."

"You, taking a break from training? Consider me shocked," Dedede replied, though his tone was only in jest.

Meta Knight, though, was taking it seriously. "You should tell her to rest, Dedede. After all, we don't need her to overdo it, and possibly go Soul Form on everyone during the match," he answered.

"Hopefully, she won't have to use her Soul Form during the tournament. The letter states that the first few matches of the Super Smash Brothers tournament are supposed to show the judge, Master Hand, what the contestant's abilities are," Dedede answered. "I've already warned her not to show that off in front of everyone."

"Good. I just don't want another incident with that Soul Form of hers," Meta Knight said, glaring at the ground as painful memories came to mind.

_"__You killed him, the one person who helped me escape! Die, you son of a-"_

_"__Scarlet, stop! Think of what you're doing!"_

_"__Oh, she won't be able to do that, Meta Knight. Thanks to my experiments, she is beginning to evolve into her _true _self!"_

_"__If you've done something to my sister, I'll-"_

_"__RRRRRAAAAAARRGGHH!"_

_"__Oh, crap! She's going out of control!"_

_"__Scarlet, don't! SCARLET!"_

"Trust me, nothing is going to go wrong. You're always worrying," Dedede said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Meta Knight cringed. "I hate it when people say that," he muttered.

"Hey!" The two looked down to see Scarlet call out to them. "You guys wanna have a mock battle? I've still got enough energy to fight!"

Dedede shrugged, lifting his large hammer onto his shoulder. "I guess I'm up for a fight. Just don't cry when you lose," he said.

"As if I would lose," she retorted. "Meta Knight, are you coming?"

The caped knight sighed. "I was planning on spending my sparring session with a couple of the swordsmen from the castlegrounds…"

"Meta Knight, you're going to be fighting against a lot of swordsmen in this Super Smash Brothers tournament. I looked at the picture and counted at least five of them," Scarlet said. "Besides, you still need to work on your Galaxia Darkness technique, right?"

Meta Knight knew he couldn't argue with that. "Alright, I'll fight on one condition."

"And what's that?" she asked.

"…Please lower your power output. The last time you fought me on full power, you broke my mask," he said.

"And what's wrong with people seeing your face? You look adorable, just like Kirby!" Scarlet replied.

Meta Knight was grateful for the fact that he had a mask on, because the heat in his face was spreading. "Scarlet…"

"Oh, alright, alright," she said. "Spoil sport."

* * *

><p><strong>(The path to reparation is never easy.)<strong>

Iheartgod175 proudly presents:

**FIERY HEART, BROKEN SOUL**

**Tags:**Hurt/Comfort/Family/Adventure/Drama

**Posted: **November 2014

**Rating: T**(for darker subjects, including psychological and physical torture, violence and implied rape. You have been warned.)

**Summary (shortened version)**: King Dedede and Meta Knight weren't the only characters that were representing Popstar for the third Super Smash Brothers tournament. Dedede's sister Scarlet, the secret princess of Popstar, is joining them for the competition. With her upbeat, fiery attitude and almost beastly moveset, she's right at home in the tournament, making both friends and enemies out of the Smashers. What they don't know is that there is a reason for Scarlet's appearance. This story takes place from the beginning to the end of Brawl, and will also deal with the Subspace Emissary.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of Super Smash Brothers, or Kirby, or Earthbound/Mother, or Super Mario. I guess that may be a good thing, since those games might be pretty dark if I directed them. Plus, Scarlet is not my original character; she is the property of Vulaan Kulaas. I'll do my best to not make her look bad.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1: An Extra Addition<br>

_Smash Mansion Training Grounds  
><em>

_March 9th, 2008, Early Spring  
><em>

_Day of Super Smash Brothers Brawl Launch_

_Time: 12:30 P.M._

"FIRE!"

Mario dodged to the side as the fiery form of Fox McCloud raced past. After the vulpine disengaged his Fire Fox move, he turned around and whipped out his blaster, shooting several volleys. Thinking quickly, Mario pulled out his Super Cape, deflecting the shots easily. Fox had no time to move, and he was stunned by his own blaster.

Mario smirked as the mercenary leader attempted to get back up._  
><em>

He ran towards him, raising his right arm back to slam Fox upwards. Unfortunately, Fox saw the move coming, and grabbed him before he could even attack. Stars filled Mario's vision as Fox punched him several times, and then the world flipped upside down as he was tossed into the air.

Mario barely got his sight back to normal before he heard the rounds of laser fire and searing hot pain filled his body. He stifled a scream, letting out a muffled moan as he fell back to earth and slammed into the ground.

As he started to get up, he heard Fox call out, "Come on!" He looked to see the vulpine crouching with his left hand in a "Bring it" motion, a cocky smirk on his face.

Shaking his head to clear off his vision, Mario once again charged into battle, this time with his fist full of fire. He leaped over Fox and punched him in the back, sending him flying to the other side of the stage. He came in for the attack again, and leapt into the air, fist pulled back.

Fox looked upwards and saw the plumber coming towards him, clearly intending on punching him into the stage. A small smile graced his muzzle.

_Gotcha, Mario.  
><em>

With that, Fox performed a backflip seconds before Mario was within melee range. A look of shock permeated the plumber's face right before Fox's boot collided with his large nose, launching him up like a rocket. Fox leaped into the air, and concentrated all his energy, feeling the fire grow around him and cover his body.

Mario heard a whoosh of air, and then a loud cry of "FIRE!" hit his ears, only this time Fox was directly in front of him. He had no time to move and Fox collided with him head on, setting him on fire. The force of the attack sent Mario once again flying into the air, only this time, he was going beyond the normal limits of the stage and towards the horizon.

_Mama mia...I didn't realize my damage was THAT high!_

Mario screamed as he disappeared into the horizon, and then he head a loud voice call out, "SUCCESS!"

The next thing he knew, he was freefalling towards a large white mattress and landed on his face for the second time. He groaned, feeling the pain fully take over his body as he lay there. His arms burned from the fire and the lasers, his nose ached, and he was sure a tooth had come loose in his mouth. He sat up, rubbing his head.

"Mario? Are you alright?"

At the sound of that sweet voice, he turned and saw Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom standing there, along Zelda and the Ice Climbers. He sighed. He'd hoped that nobody had seen him lose.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Peachy," he said.

"Allow me to take you to your room, Sir Mario," Zelda said, coming over to the plumber as he got down. "You look terrible."

Mario chuckled. "I keep telling you to not call me 'Sir Mario', Zelda. That makes me feel kind of old," he said.

Zelda sighed. "Forgive me, Sir-I mean, Mario," she said. "It is an old habit of mine."

With Peach's help, Mario was able to get to his feet again. "Well, I think that should be an ample warm up for this year's Brawl tournament. But one of these days, I'm going to beat Fox," he said.

"You need to remember that Fox has excellent air recovery, and that he's one of the top ten fighters in the tournament," Peach said.

"I think I forgot that for a moment there," Mario admitted, adjusting his red cap.

Just then, the doors towards the waiting room opened and a small pink creature with large red feet ran out. Following him was a boy who looked to be no older than fourteen, who wore a yellow and blue striped shirt, capri shorts, and red sneakers. A red baseball cap rested snugly on his head.

"Hey, Kirby, Ness, what're you up to?" Mario asked.

Ness shrugged. "Nothing much, if you count trying to keep Kirby from eating my shortcake worth mentioning," he said. "I guess you'll have to do better in the preliminaries, right?"

Mario sighed. "I thought Fox would be easy to handle, but he's impossible to best in the air. And even though he's lean, he can pack some mean punches," he said. "No wonder Falco's been taking some moves from him."

"More like outright copying them," Ness smirked, to which Kirby laughed.

"I wouldn't say that to his face, though. You know how prideful that bird can be," Mario cautioned. "This year, Fox said he's supposed to bring some more moves to the table this time."

"Let's hope he can put his moves where his mouth is," Ness said.

"In the meantime, we'd better get ready for Master Hand's opening speech," Mario replied. "It'll be starting any minute. I just hope the newcomers aren't getting too restless."

* * *

><p><em>Smash Brothers Training Room<br>_

_Same Time_

The jagged golden blade of Galaxia whizzed through the air, missing Scarlet by a few inches as she jumped backwards. Meta Knight pressed the advantage, leaping into the air and swinging his sword around his blade around his body again and again. Scarlet parried each strike, her face turned up into a scowl of concentration as Meta Knight pressed against her hammer. She flung her wrist, locking Meta Knight's blade against the upper neck of her hammer. The sound of wingbeats filled the air as Meta Knight hovered in midair.

"You've improved a lot since last time, Meta Knight," she remarked. "It's probably a good thing that you didn't stop training."

"A true knight never stops training," Meta Knight responded. "Now then, let's see how much you've improved."

He jumped backwards and dived downwards, his wings making him look like a drill. Scarlet covered her left hand with a ball of fire, and after dodging Meta Knight's dive, she swung around and punched him. The swordsman tumbled in midair, but only for a little bit, as his wings broke his fall.

Scarlet's grip on her hammer tightened as Meta Knight dove downwards, Galaxia aimed at her forehead. She performed a matrix dodge, feeling the blade graze her beak ever so slightly. Spinning around, she swung her hammer towards the airborne knight, catching him in a devastating blow that sent him flying across the field. Smirking, she pursued the flailing knight, a trail of fire following behind her as she did so.

Meta Knight skidded to a stop, barely preventing himself from falling, and saw the penguin charging towards him. He ran towards her and performed a running kick, knocking Scarlet out of the Flare Dash she'd been charging up. The knockback stunned her momentarily and Meta Knight took the opportunity to unleash a flurry of powerful slashes, tearing apart part of her coat and ripping the bandana from her head. With unbelievable strength, he grabbed her by her shirt, and his cape unfurled into his signature wings.

Scarlet had no time to break free of his grip, as he began to pummel her with the sharp claws of his wings. Right when she thought she could break loose, he kicked her in the stomach. The impact launched her backwards, almost causing her to tumble head over heels into the ground. Meta Knight once more took off, gliding silently and swiftly towards his opponent. He pulled his sword back, intending to do a stabbing move with it.

Scarlet, who was almost fully recovered from that knockback, saw Meta Knight approaching, and threw out a small dome like shield just before he thrust his sword forward. Galaxia punctured the shield as though it were a bubble, and the force of his strike once more sent her flying backwards into part of the castle. Chunks of rock and other debris flew everywhere, and a cloud of dust obscured Scarlet's impact-point from view.

Meta Knight huffed, getting into a defensive stance. "Are you alright, Scarlet?" he called.

There was a pause, and then a tornado of fire blazed burst from the hole, moving so fast all he could see was a red and orange blur. When he felt the wave of heat behind him, he barely had time turn around before the large head of Scarlet's hammer slammed into him with the force of a wrecking ball, sending him flying into the air. The world spun out of control for Meta Knight as he fell, and he quickly unfurled his wings in order to break the impact of the fall.

_I guess that's a yes, _he thought to himself idly.

Scarlet leaped towards him, her right hand covered with fire. Meta Knight turned around and took the air, raising his blade to meet with her fist.

They collided, and a small explosion occurred, blowing some of the trees back. Scarlet punched the knight with her fiery fist, but it did nothing to stop Meta Knight, as he attempted to send her downwards with a downward cut. She caught the blade with the shaft of her hammer, but it wasn't enough to stop the effects of gravity from taking hold. Meta Knight once again slashed at her jacket, ripping off part of it. She swung and quickly parried the follow up swing as he rushed her, intent on driving her to the ground.

Her feet hit the ground hard, and she grimaced a bit from the impact of the crash. Meta Knight dove downwards, Galaxia aimed right at her. She once again warped away to safety, part of the ground burning as she did so. Meta Knight pulled himself upwards to avoid crashing into the ground, and then the two rushed forwards, their weapons colliding with each other. There was a loud crack as Scarlet's hammer flew out of her hands and fell to the floor.

"Okay, that's it!" Dedede called. "Mock battle's over!"

The two combatants stood for what seemed like an eternity before both of them slowly pulled their weapons away. A small, shallow gash could be seen through Scarlet's coat. Scarlet smiled sheepishly.

"Well, seems like you've won again, Meta Knight," Scarlet noted.

"That does not surprise me. Only two people have ever beaten me, and that is my counterpart from the Mirror Universe and Kirby himself," Meta Knight answered, putting away Galaxia. "Although I will admit that you prevented me from using my Galaxia Darkness."

"What does that attack even do?"

"It is basically a one hit kill attack, in which I slash at my opponent after blinding them with my cape. The only problem is that I have to be close to them," Meta Knight explained. "It's harder to grab people who are farther away from me."

"I see. But I was so close!" Scarlet cried. On any other occasion that she'd fought against Meta Knight, she'd been soundly beaten, or come very close to disarming him. Then again, only two people had beaten him: his own Mirror Universe counterpart, and Kirby.

The castle around them melted away, revealing the white training room that they had been in. Various sections of the room had black splotches on the floor and walls.

Just then, the doors opened and a strange creature walked through the doors. He was tall and slim, but had a somewhat muscular build, at least from what Scarlet could tell under his green tunic. He had short, pointy ears and messy blond hair that fell loosely in front of his bright blue eyes.

Scarlet's eyes widened. _Oh my. He's _cute.

"Are you all the new combatants?" the man asked.

"Ah yes, we are. I am King Dedede of Dreamland," Dedede started.

"All in name only," Meta Knight muttered.

"-and this is Meta Knight, and my sister, Scarlet," Dedede continued without missing a beat, though he did send a death glare towards Meta Knight. "And you are?"

"Link," he said, rather professionally. "Nice to meet all of you." He shook hands with Dedede and Meta Knight, only to stop short when he saw Scarlet fidgeting. "Is there something wrong?"

The dark feathered penguin went redder in the face, if that was even possible. "N-No, I'm fine, really!" she said, laughing nervously. "I-I do look fine, don't I?"

Link nodded. "You look very pretty, Scarlet," he said.

Scarlet laughed nervously, her blush intensifying. "W-Why thank you..." she replied. "You look really pretty, too."

Now it was Link's turn to blush in embarrassment. "A-Anyway, Master Hand and Mario, the leaders of the Smash tournament, asked all newcomers to come to the amphitheater," he said gruffly, trying to not look annoyed.

"I-I see," Scarlet answered, feeling ready to kick herself. _That was smooth, Scarlet. Real smooth._

"Well, then, I'll show you the way. You might run into some of the other Smashers on the way. Try to ignore the stares; they always do that with newcomers," Link said.

"Thank you for warning us ahead of time, Link," Meta Knight answered. He looked over to see the hilt of a sword sticking from Link's back. "So, you are a swordsman like me, right?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Well, then," Meta Knight stated, his yellow eyes locking with Link's blue ones, "it looks like you and I will be battling on the field soon."

"Oh no, not this again," Dedede groaned. "Sorry about that. Meta Knight is a bit of a fighter. He loves challenging swordsmen to fights."

"I see," Link replied, looking slightly unnerved at Meta Knight. "Well, uh, are there any questions?"

"Yes, I have one," Scarlet said. "Are we immediately going to the preliminary matches right after the introductory speech?"

"Yes. These matches are really meant to test your skills, so there's no need to worry if you lose," Link explained. "Master Hand will explain all the rules of the match when we get there."

"Oh, and one more thing," Dedede said.

Link turned towards the large king. "Yes?"

"Look, I know you pretty boy types; always causing the girls to swoon over you with your dashing good looks," Dedede started. His eyes narrowed. "I'm going to put you on notice, Elf Boy. If you hurt my sister or so much as look at her the wrong way, you're getting a Jet Hammer to the face. Is that clear?"

Link raised his hands defensively. "D-Duly noted," he said.

"Oh boy," Scarlet sighed. "Don't worry about him. He's just being a bit overprotective."

"As usual," Meta Knight added.

"Thanks for the support," Dedede answered sarcastically.

* * *

><p><em>Smash Mansion Amphitheater<em>

Scarlet whistled in amazement. "Okay, this is nice."

The Smash Mansion Amphitheater was the largest theater that Scarlet had ever seen. Fifty rows of seats surrounded them in a bowl like angle, and the platform below them was made out of black streaked white marble. Lavish sculptures showing off the previous winners of the tournament were separated at various spots of the platform, and there was a large golden oil lamp filled to the brim with amber liquid. Banners decorated the sides of the amphitheater, all with various symbols on them. There was a large banner in between the two pillars that said, "Welcome to the Brawl!".

Dedede's jaw was level with the floor.

This was not an exaggeration in any way.

"Master Hand usually comes out after everyone has gotten in their seats," he said. He looked over at the seats and saw that most of the contestants were already there. "He shouldn't take too long."

"Where exactly are we supposed to sit?" Scarlet asked.

Link scanned the large seats for one of the competitors. "Ah, there he is."

"Who?" Scarlet asked.

"Kirby, of course," Link said matter of factly. "This year, Master Hand split up the amphitheater into factions, showing which planet or kingdom the competitors represent."

"So, basically..."

"We, along with Kirby, represent Popstar in this tournament," Meta Knight explained.

"Ah. Thanks for clearing things up for me," Scarlet replied.

Link was about to say something when there was a bright flash that filled the arena, followed by a gust of wind that nearly blew everyone down into their seats. Some people screamed in surprise and outright terror, while she and the others simply stood their ground. When she opened her eyes, she met a very interesting sight.

A massive white shape floated into the center of the amphitheater, the glow surrounding it even as the rest of the area slowly started to clear of the light. The best way it could be described was a large white, disembodied hand that seemed to be attached to nothing at all. It flexed its fingers reflexively, and began to speak. Scarlet wondered how that was even possible, considering that the hand had no mouth.

_"Welcome, Super Smash Brothers competitors!" _he boomed, his voice deep and commanding. _"I am glad that you are all here. To the veteran fighters, welcome back. To the newcomers of Smash Mansion, I am Master Hand, the Hand of Creation and Ruler over the Multiverse. I welcome you all, newcomers and veterans alike, to the third Super Smash Brothers tournament!_

_"As you are all aware, you are going to fight each other in a massive tournament to decide the winner, and the winner faces off against me. Whoever defeats me in battle will be crowned the champion, and will receive a special prize in addition. Before we begin with the actual tournament, we will introduce the newcomers and begin several preliminary matches to determine their skills and to help them settle in. I hope you rested well, champions, because you will need all the energy you can muster for these fights!"  
><em>

Cheers erupted in the amphitheater. Scarlet could see the assortment of creatures that had attended the tournament. An ape with a large necktie, an angel, an upright walking fox in clothes, a human teenager with three different types of creatures...

"Well, this seems to be interesting," she muttered.

_"Now then, let us see who the newcomers are this year," _Master Hand said, more to himself than to everyone. With that, he started to float around the amphitheater, doing a mental count of the competitors in each section.

Link's eyes widened, and then he slapped himself on the forehead. "Oh, crap. I forgot that I was supposed to get you to your seats!" he groaned.

As soon as he said that, Master Hand boomed, _"Where are the other two delegates from Popstar?"_

"Uh, they're right here!" Link called out, and the giant hand turned towards the Hylian swordsman. Within seconds, he was hovering over the group.

_"Link, what is the meaning of this? I asked for two delegates!" _Master Hand pointed at Scarlet, making the red-feathered penguin shrink behind her brother.

"Uh, well, when I came to meet them, she was there," Link answered uneasily.

_"Speak now, young woman, for you will have no chance to do so later," _Master Hand said, rather impatiently.

Scarlet opened her mouth to speak, but her throat felt drier than freeze dried cotton in the middle of the desert. "Uh..."

Master Hand remained restless, tapping his fingers on the seats.

"Uh..."

"Listen, Master Hand, or whoever you are," Dedede said, stepping in. "You can't go around just demanding answers out of people like that, especially after you nearly scare them half to death. Who do you think you are?"

Link looked at Dedede in alarm. "Dedede, that's not such a-"

"You had your chance to talk, elf boy, now it's my turn." Hefting his large hammer on his shoulder, Dedede continued with, "I brought her here in case you're wondering. I know that you said there were only supposed to be two delegates, but Scarlet is my sister, and she has a very...special case that I think this tournament may be able to help with." He glared at the Hand of Creation. "If you kick her out of the tournament, then I'm going with her."

A series of shocked gasps and murmurs washed over everyone like a tidal wave. Master Hand said nothing, but his fingers had gone stiff with tension. Scarlet looked terrified, Meta Knight simply remained emotionless, and Link's mouth hung open.

For what seemed like eternity, no one spoke or moved a muscle. In fact, it seemed like nobody was even _breathing._

Finally, Master Hand's fingers relaxed, and he said, _"Well, then. You are a bold one, aren't you? Alright. I will let her stay. I'll consider her to be...an extra addition. Scarlet will be allowed to fight in the tournament."_

"YES!" Scarlet cheered, jumping into the air. Then she noticed about several hundred pairs of eyes locked onto her. "Oh, uh, I mean...yay." She gave a nervous smile.

_"Alright, since we have everyone that I asked for-and a few surprises," _Master Hand stated, motioning to Scarlet, _"we will now begin the standard introductions, and then the preliminary matches!"_

The crowd of champions roared their approval. Master Hand floated away towards the middle of the amphitheater, and Scarlet let out a big sigh.

"Oh, man...for a moment there, I nearly passed out from all the attention," she gasped.

"That would not have surprised me," Meta Knight replied. "After all, you are on the quiet side, in contrast to Dedede."

"Hey, whose side are you on?" Dedede accused.

"I will admit, that was pretty impressive. Nobody's ever stood up to Master Hand, except maybe Mario," Link said, "and even he doesn't get free passes."

"Hey, he was threatening my sister. Call me overprotective, but I'm not going to let some giant flying hand bully her," Dedede answered.

"You looked like Master Hand was going to zap my brother out of existence," Scarlet said.

"Actually, he does have an attack where he shoots lasers at you," Link replied.

Scarlet looked at him like he was crazy, while Meta Knight and Dedede looked neutral. Link had a "you'd better believe it" look on his face.

"You're kidding me," she said finally.

"Nope. Just wanted to give you a heads up if you do go up against him," Link said.

Scarlet sighed. "I get all the tough luck, don't I?"

"Hey!" Scarlet turned to see the upright standing fox walking over to her, along with a blue feathered pheasant that she hadn't been able to see earlier. Both of them looked like fighter pilots, with their jackets, metal boots and headsets. The fox wore dark green and red colors, while the pheasant wore mostly darker red colors for his flight suit.

"I have to admit, that took some guts to stand up to Master Hand," the fox said. "The name's Fox, by the way. Fox McCloud, leader of the mercenary team, StarFox."

"And I'm Falco Lombardi," the pheasant said. His grin was sly as he looked over at Fox. "Fox basically can't do anything without me having to save his skin, just so you know."

Fox glared at Falco. "Oh, really? I should probably mention that you're always changing loyalties?"

This earned him a glare from Falco. "Don't push it, Fox."

"Okay, you two, break it up," Link said, seeming exasperated. "We can't have you trying to tear each others' throats out again like what happened in Melee."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Fox said.

Falco rolled his eyes. "I still say Fox deserved it."

_"Falco." _Link's voice had a warning tone in it.

"Sheesh, no need to get your nightcap twisted up, Link," the pheasant replied. He then looked over at Scarlet, and the penguin found herself frozen by his cool blue eyes. "So, you're Scarlet, huh? I can see why they call you that."

"Y-Yeah...it was inevitable," Scarlet answered. "It's nice to meet you, Falco, and you as well, Fox."

"Charmed," was all Dedede had to say, as he was too busy giving Falco the evil eye.

"Likewise," Meta Knight rumbled.

"Well, it looks like you'll be fighting against me in the preliminary rounds," Fox said. "I'm one of the veterans, and all newcomers have to fight one of the veteran fighters one on one."

"Oh man, I can't wait to see how that turns out," Falco sniggered.

"I recall you saying a similar thing when Roy came to the tournament. You left the stadium in pieces," Fox replied.

"I'm not gonna let that happen again. You just watch," Falco said.

"Let's hope you can act on your words, birdbrain," Scarlet teased.

**END OF CHAPTER 1**

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><p><em><strong>And there is chapter one! Once I get the outline started, the next few chapters should come easily.<strong>_

_**For those of you wondering, I'll see if I can squeeze in all the competitors to interact with Scarlet and the gang. So far, I have the Earthbound/Mother cast and the Star Fox team as main recurring characters, and I may put Pokémon Trainer in her as well. As stated earlier, I'll be going into the Subspace Emissary with a lot more detail, though that's going to be farther down the road. There's going to be a lot of stuff, and it may be my longest story ever.**_

_**Next chapter will go into the preliminary fights and introduce good old Mario and the veteran crew, as well as some newcomers like Olimar and Lucas. Let me know what you think in your reviews!**_

_**God bless, iheartgod175**_


	2. Show Me Your Moves

**A/N:** Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter done. I kind of lost interest in Super Smash Brothers for a while, and then I got into HB cartoons, and then I had writer's block which made me redo this chapter twice...anyway, it was a lot of stuff that kept this chapter from being posted sooner. I didn't want to give my readers a half-baked chapter, even it it is shorter than I originally planned it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this (somewhat short) chapter!

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Show Me Your Moves<span>

_Smash Mansion Amphitheater_

_Lower Level_

_Hours later_

"So, Mario, what do you think of the newcomers?" Link asked. Everyone else was in the training rooms of the Smash Mansion doing some last minute preparations for the preliminary rounds.

The twelve veterans of the tournament, which included Mario and Link, were gathered on the lower level of the amphitheater as part of their standard meeting to determine the skills of the newcomers.

The red-capped plumber stroked his mustache. "To be honest, I think the newcomers for this year's tournament are going to be more interesting than last year's. We really do have people from almost every world in the multiverse," he explained.

"I don't get why we had to invite some weird version of Link for the ride," Fox grumbled. "He looks so out of place."

"That's exactly what you said in Melee about Young Link. He beat you pretty soundly in that battle, if I recall," Mario said.

Fox's face went red with embarrassment and he looked away, shame on his face. "Point taken," he said.

"We do have some extra competitors from certain worlds," Luigi said. "There are three other Pokemon this year in addition to Pikachu and Jigglypuff. Plus, Kirby brought along Dedede and Meta Knight, and then Ness brought along some other kid from Onett."

"Luigi, he's not from Onett at all. He's from this place called the Nowhere Islands," Mario corrected. "He's a really shy boy. He practically whispered a hello to me when I greeted him."

"Don't worry, in about three days or so, he'll be getting along with everyone else," Fox replied. "We all had tournament jitters when we first started out fighting."

"Well, most of us did. I recall Bowser and Ganondorf not having that problem." Mario grimaced. "They almost thrashed everyone in the beginning matches."

"I have one other question," Fox started, irritation in his voice. "Why did you invite _Wolf _of all people to join this year's Smash Brothers' tournament?"

Mario sighed. "I didn't invite him. That was Master Hand's idea. He felt that Lylat deserved some more recognition, and apparently, many wanted him to appear."

"Oh, joy," Fox groaned.

"I'm still confused as to why Sonic is here," Link noted. "I mean, he's not even part of our multiverse."

"Well, it's mostly because he and I are more or less friendly rivals now," Mario explained. "I told him after the Peking Olympics that the Super Smash Brothers tournament would be starting soon, and he said that he'd be here if there weren't any problems in his world. I talked it over with Master Hand, and he said it was alright since he had another competitor from another world coming as well."

"You and Sonic are friends now? Consider me shocked," Fox said. "Or I would be, if I didn't see it coming from miles away."

"I didn't see it coming. After all, twenty years ago Mario and Sonic were trying to beat the crap out of each other," Captain Falcon answered.

"I'm curious how Scarlet is going to factor in to the roster. She literally showed up out of nowhere before the matches started," Luigi noted. "Master Hand looked unhappy about that."

"Well, it's mostly because he's the one who sends the invitational to challengers. People used to show up and just apply, but something happened for Master Hand to suddenly switch to handing out invites," Mario explained. There was a troubled expression in his eye that didn't go unnoticed by Luigi.

"Are you okay, bro?" he asked.

Mario blinked and turned to his younger brother. "Sorry about that, Luigi. I was just thinking of something." He looked around the group, suddenly realizing that someone was missing. "Hey, where's Ness?"

The other veterans mumbled and shrugged in response. Mario groaned, "Is he messing with the other fighters again?"

Before anybody could answer, an explosion occurred on the other side of the stadium. A large tongue of orange fire rose out of the roof.

"I think that answers your question, Mario," Luigi said.

"It's the same thing that happens every time. People can't wait until the tournament, so they go picking fights with each other," Samus groaned.

"And from the looks of things," Fox added, "Ness picked the wrong person to pick a fight with…"

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><p><em>Super Smash Mansion<em>

_Outside of the Training Rooms_

The heat surrounding Ness threatened to roast him and Lucas alive, which wasn't a good thing considering who they were currently dealing with. Heavy footsteps shook the floor, and Lucas cowered behind him in fear. Ness's eyes widened in horror as a large hulking shape emerged from the inferno.

_No way…I hit him with a maximum power PK Fire and he's still standing?!_

A deep, rumbling laugh confirmed Ness's fears, and red-orange eyes, bright as the fire itself, bore into both teenagers' souls. The figure was a large, hulking creature who appeared to be a cross between an ox, a dragon and a turtle, as it had small pointy horns and a large shell covered with spikes. He stood upright, four clawed fingers clenched into fists.

"You thought you could destroy me with your fancy fire attack?" Another rumbling laugh. "I figured you were naïve, but this borders on flat out stupidity. I live in a realm surrounded by lava. I've been knocked into lava countless times. I breathe fire. Heck, I've been knocked into the sun, and I'm still standing. I can withstand fire better than most." A cruel smile graced the monster's features. "But I wonder if _you _can withstand this, Ness!"

Ness jumped in front of Lucas as Bowser unleashed a wave of fire breath that came roaring down the hall. The shield barely came up just in time, but Ness could feel it melting under the heat of Bowser's fire breath. He hoped that somebody was around to help, or that they had heard all of the commotion. Because he needed some serious help, and Lucas was too terrified to even do that-

_CRASH!_

The shield burst in an explosion of red and white sparks, and the force sent Ness flying into the air and crashing onto the ground behind Lucas. Every part of his body was hot with pain from the explosion, and his head felt like somebody had just hit it with a sledgehammer. He groaned as he tried to come to his senses, barely registering Lucas' shouts or Bowser's evil laugh.

"Ness!" Lucas shouted.

"Now then, where were we?" Bowser rumbled, turning his attention towards Lucas. "Oh, now I remember. I was going to make you my personal punching bag."

Lucas looked around him, fear gripping his very being as Bowser came closer. Ness was down for the count, nobody was around to help, and Bowser, being bigger than him, could toss him around like a rag doll. Before Lucas could think of anything else, Bowser's large hand closed around his waist and he was lifted into the air. The world flipped upside down as he was hurled into flames and to the other side of the room. He hit the floor with a scream, his singed arms taking a beating from the contact with the floor.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" Bowser came through the flames, his sneer smug. "You're supposed to be a powerful PSI user, and yet all you do is cry. You're the most pathetic challenger I've ever met. No wonder nobody likes you back home. I bet your family's disappointed in you."

When he said that, a great raging flame burst to life within Lucas, consuming the fear that had crippled him moments earlier. With some effort, he got to his feet and glared at Bowser, who had tormented him on his first day, had hurt Ness, and insulted his family.

"Enough…" he whispered, his voice backed with an unholy amount of wrath.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you," Bowser said mockingly.

_"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" _Lucas screamed, his patience snapping. Blue energy formed above his head, condensing into a large snowflake. Even though it wasn't fully charged, he could still feel the chill from the attack seeping into his bones. He guided the snowflake towards the King of the Koopas, who was preparing to strike him with his open palm.

_"PK FREEZE!" _

There was a large cracking sound, and then something large and heavy fell to the ground with such force that the walls shuddered. Lucas was thrown to the ground, and the room was filled with arctic air.

"Brr…why does it suddenly feel so col-whoa…" Ness, having finally recovered from his shock from the shield explosion, sat up to see a massive iceberg sitting in front of him, which was quickly melting away due to the flames. Inside that iceberg was Bowser himself, shock resonating on his face. Ness looked at the frozen King, and then looked at Lucas, who looked angry.

The mask of anger quickly disappeared from Lucas' face, replaced with pain and fear. The blonde haired boy groaned in pain as he looked at his arms, which were covered in burns and other bruises.

Ness ran over to help him. "Lucas, are you alright?" he asked.

The boy nodded silently, staring down at his hands in what Ness assumed was horror. Before he could ask what was wrong, there was a shout of his name. Ness froze as he recognized Mario's voice, and then he remembered the meeting he was supposed to be at.

"I'm screwed," Ness muttered as Mario, Fox and Captain Falcon came around the hall, just as Bowser burst out of the iceberg. Sheets of ice glistened on his muscular arms, and the King of the Koopas turned to face the guilty party with a death glare that could have killed the Grim Reaper.

_"You…" _he growled, pointing at Lucas. "When I'm done with you, you're going to wish you never came here!"

Lucas prepared to run, but that was when Mario stepped in front of him, facing the angry King of the Koopas. His blue eyes were dark with restrained anger.

"Bowser," Mario sighed, irritation in his voice. "I should have expected that you were behind this."

"I was just having a little fun with the kids before the preliminary matches," Bowser replied. "Last time I checked, that wasn't a crime."

"Well, setting part of the building on fire is," Mario retorted.

"Hey, don't blame me for that," Bowser snapped. "I'd blame it on the walking disaster zone here."

Ness' face flushed with anger. "You're the reason I did that, you overgrown turtle!"

"Alright, knock it off, Ness," Mario ordered. The boy's mouth snapped shut instantly, though he did let out a low groan. Mario looked at all three of them with stern expressions. "I'll have to report all three of you to Master Hand for this."

"Since when did you become Master Hand's errand boy?" Bowser sneered.

"Since Melee, that's when. Fox, Captain Falcon, I'll need you to put out the rest of this fire. Lucas' attack took care of most of it," Mario ordered. He turned towards Ness, Lucas and Bowser. "You three, follow me."

Bowser glared at Mario, and for a moment Lucas thought that he was going to roast him alive. But he snorted, and turned to Lucas. "This isn't over, Blondie," he growled. "You'll get what's coming to you soon enough."

"That's _enough_, Bowser," Mario snapped, and turned to lead the three towards the upper levels of the building. Ness was silently stewing about different attacks he could use to beat Bowser next time, while Lucas was as white as a ghost.

_Great job, Lucas. Now you just made another person hate you. _

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><p>"What happened down there?" Scarlet asked, noting the smoke and the wardens that were coming down the hall.<p>

Falco looked up and saw Mario, Ness, Lucas and Bowser walking down the hall towards Master Hand's room. "Wow. I knew Ness was fight-happy, but to pick a fight with _Bowser_ of all people? That's just asking for your funeral," he said, shaking his head. "Kids these days…"

"Bowser is the tall dragon…thing, right?" she asked.

"Yep, though I wouldn't exactly call him that to his face. He'd flip out if he heard that. He's Mario's eternal nemesis. They've never gotten along, even though Mario invites him to his parties and racing tournaments in the Mushroom Kingdom," Falco said. "Why he does that, I have no idea."

"What are their racing competitions like?" Scarlet asked, curious.

"Well, I've never been to one, but from what Luigi's told me, they're pretty crazy. I mean, flying turtle shells that explode when they hit the first person ahead? And who came up with the idea to put bombs on a racetrack?"

"That sounds awesome! I wish I could go," Scarlet said. "Though I'd need to take some driving lessons first…"

Falco shrugged and turned back to read his magazine, but that was when he caught a peek at Scarlet's right hand. Large black streaks of burns coursed up her fingers and across the back of her hand like a series of winding rivers. He couldn't see anything else, as her large blue sleeve was covering her wrist, but he had the feeling that there were even more scars underneath that.

He'd gotten some pretty bad scars himself due to his missions, but he'd never been burned through his feathers. Out of curiosity, he found himself looking up to see if there were any burns on Scarlet's face or neck, and he found even more of the same thing. How had he not seen these before?

Scarlet saw Falco staring at her and turned to face him with a startled look. "W-What are you looking at me for?" she asked.

"Your scars…I don't think I've seen that many of them," Falco noted. "I mean, it looks like somebody was trying to burn you up."

Scarlet's muscles twitched in response to that question, but she responded with, "Yeah, you can say that."

Falco's eyes widened slightly in horror. "Geez, there are some sick people out here in this universe, you know that?"

"You have no idea," Scarlet muttered, her voice low with anger. "Thankfully, the person who did this to me is right where he belongs now."

Falco was about to ask another question, but he saw the raw anger and pain in Scarlet's eyes, and decided not to ask. Whatever had happened to her was worse than what she was telling him, and that it was making her angry to even talk about it.

Well, he was no therapist, but he kind of saw where she was coming from. He didn't like to show his emotions around anybody, either. He had a reputation to maintain, after all.

Just as he was starting to turn back to his magazine, the doors opened and Mario came in, looking like he'd been through a very long and exhausting day. His cheerful expression from earlier was gone, replaced by a look of utter worry.

"What happened to Ness this time?" he asked.

"Well, he's currently talking with Master Hand, as are Bowser and Lucas," Mario said. "From the looks of things, it seems like they're in trouble."

"I know Ness got hit with it hard, though," Falco mused.

"He's always been in rough spots with Master Hand," Mario replied. "But I think Master Hand should cut him some slack. I mean, he went through a whole lot of things back in his hometown, with that horrible monster attacking and his best friend betraying him. I think that caused him to snap."

"Well, that's a new idea," Falco answered, and Mario rolled his eyes in resignation. "So, are we going to start the tournament soon, or what?"

"Well, Master Hand said that it would be alright to start the preliminary matches now. Ness just won't be participating in the opening round. He and Bowser will in the third round," he said.

Scarlet stretched her arms, feeling her bones pop into place. "Well, then, let's get going!" she urged. "I'm getting bored just sitting here with nothing to do."

"So am I," Falco said. "I can't wait to make Pretty Boy cry this year."

"Who's that?" Scarlet asked.

"He means Marth, one of the swordsmen in the tournament," Mario explained. "If you happen to meet him, you'll see why Falco calls him that."

"Oh…" Scarlet muttered. _Geez, and I thought some of the penguins back home were girly-looking..._

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><p><em>Super Smash Brothers Battlefield<em>

_Ten minutes later_

"I'm glad Master Hand's got Ness and Lucas under control," Captain Falcon stated, flexing his muscles and throwing out a few punches to ready himself. "I'm ready to try out one of my new moves."

"You have a new move?" Fox asked.

"Yep. It's for my Grand Finale," he said.

"You know we won't be able to pull those out until the real thing, right?"

"Hey, Master Hand likes to bend the rules a bit. He promised everyone that no one would be getting any ultimate attacks or forms. Then Giga Bowser showed up," Captain Falcon said.

"Yeah, I remember everyone was fighting to get their own ultimate forms afterwards," Fox replied. "You'll be surprised to see what I have for my Final Smash."

"It won't be as cool as having the Blue Falcon crashing into you," Falcon argued.

"I'm telling you, it's way cooler than that," Fox replied.

A loud alarm drowned out Captain Falcon's response, and the two turned to see two flashes of blue light appear in the middle of the arena. The light disappeared to reveal two people.

The first was a small man with a bulbous nose, pointy ears, and a shock of light brown hair. His eyes were closed in a sleepy looking expression, and he wore a yellow space suit with red gloves. Surrounding him were three smaller creatures that looked like plants, colored red, yellow and blue, respectively. Small flowers that resembled daisies sprouted on their heads.

The second was Scarlet, who brandished her hammer with confidence. Fox's eyes widened in surprise.

"Scarlet? I didn't think you were going to show up," Fox noted. "Most newcomers have the jitters during the preliminaries."

"Well, I'm not one of those newcomers. I came here to fight, and that's what I'm going to do," she replied.

"Yeah, we'll see how long you'll last against Fox," Captain Falcon retorted. "He may not look like much, but he is light on his feet, and pretty powerful, too. As for you, little guy," he said, pointing at the astronaut, "you and me will be fighting after Fox and Scarlet are finished."

The little astronaut shuddered in fear, but just when he was opening his mouth to speak, the captain steered him over to the other side of the stage, away from the battle.

"Alright, guys!" Captain Falcon called. "Show me your moves!"

Fox and Scarlet squared off for a moment, neither of them making the first move.

A breeze wafted through the air, ruffling feathers and fur.

Scarlet's grip tightened.

Fox's eyes narrowed.

And then, the two combatants sprang into action, covering the short distance between them in a heartbeat. Hammer and foot clashed, the sound of the collision rattling both of their ears. The corners of Scarlet's beak formed a wicked grin as she broke the lock, jumping backwards as Fox opened fire with his blaster.

The duel was on.

**END OF CHAPTER 2**

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><p><strong><em>Why, yes, I am leaving you on a cliffhanger. There will be more fighting next chapter, and I'll explain what happened with Lucas and Ness. Olimar will appear next chapter. So far, I know just who I'm focusing on for this story: Scarlet, Dedede, Meta Knight, Fox, Falco, Ness, Lucas, and (possibly) Olimar. In order to get a good feel for Olimar, I'll probably have to start playing him soon. Oh, and I couldn't resist putting in references to the Final Smash. I hope I can get the next few chapters out sooner. Again, sorry for the wait, and let me know what you thought in your reviews!<em>**

**_God bless, iheartgod175_**


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